10 Best RTS Games on Xbox Series X|S (2026)

If you’ve had dreams of being an army strategist and commander, then you’ll find the real-time strategy genre perfectly homey. Your tactical maneuvers and combat strategies play out in real-time, though you do have breathing room to plan ahead, choosing what army units to bring to battle and how to best equip them with limited resources. 

You also build bases, in addition to quick decision-making and smart resource management, that easily grab your attention for months on end. Keen to get started? How about with the best RTS games on Xbox Series X/S below?

What is an RTS Game?

An RTS (real-time strategy) game has three pillars: resource management, base building, and commanding army units in battle. Battles take place in real time, with players catching their breath to build the economy, develop stronger units, and plan for future battles, such as scouting.

Best RTS Games on Xbox Series X/S

There are so many amazing games on the Xbox Series, but the best RTS games on Xbox Series X/S make an unrivaled case for themselves.

10. Dune: Spice Wars

In the vast, arid deserts of Dune, the spice mineral rules. Whoever has it controls the world, and hence the Spice Wars begin. Every faction goes to battle looking to use spice to live longer and travel beyond the stars. 

Even with robust combat strategies, you might find building a network of elusive spies your strong suit, or perhaps mastering political intrigue. But there are other threats to watch out for. The sandworms are so damn huge that they easily swallow your spice harvesters along with your troops.

9. Aliens: Dark Descent

As for Aliens: Dark Descent, it’s a battle between Colonial Marines and Xenomorph monsters, set on Moon Lethe. Partly survival horror, but also giving you the weapons and tools you need to engage the monsters in real-time combat. 

The level designs are open-ended, ripe for exploration. You might discover shortcuts, too, that reveal alternate paths for survival. Meanwhile, some of the tools are next-level cool, like motion trackers, recon drones, anti-acid gels, and more tech you can develop back at base.

8. Age of Empires II

Can you imagine that it’s been 20 years of playing Age of Empires? When it comes to the best RTS games on Xbox Series X/S, Age of Empires II has perfected its craft. This time, taking you to medieval South America, where you command several units across three epic campaigns.

You’ll engage in warfare, spread across an entire century of human existence. A whopping 35 different civilizations can be controlled by online players, all with the goal of world domination across the Dark, Feudal, Castle, and Imperial Ages.

7. Evil Genius 2: World Domination

You could flip to the other side of villainhood in Evil Genius 2: World Domination and build an unstoppable army of bad guys. It’s a gradual rise to world domination, building a fortified evil lair, and training your minions by having them complete cheeky covert operations like kidnapping and extortion. 

You’ll have so much fun designing your own torture devices, as well as spicing up your lair however you like. There are traps you can set for invaders, with fun options like pinball bumpers and Venus spy traps.

6. Stellaris

Space offers so many possibilities for exploration and real-time strategy battles. And Stellaris stands a foot higher than most, with its generous content full of quests, strange worlds with unique stories and celestial beings, and all supported by stark visuals. 

Procedural generation creates an infinite supply of races to discover, along with shocking ideologies, evolutions, and much more.

5. Crusader Kings III

The weight on a medieval ruler’s shoulders is crushing, all expertly realized in Crusader Kings III. Here, you’ll experience what it might be like to walk in historical rulers’ shoes, holding noble titles of king, queen, emperor, duke, and duchess between the years 867 and 1066.

During your reign, you’ll unravel exciting plot threads around love and politics. You might have to resort to blackmail or tear down the plots against your rule.

4. Anno 1800

Anno 1800 is a must-play among the best RTS games on Xbox Series X/S because of its fully-featured playthrough. You get a story-based campaign, multiplayer experience in PvP and co-op, and sandbox mode.

You can build metropolises as massive as you want, with micro-management of resources and the economy, as well as planning logistics and going out on expeditions to discover new territories to conquer.

3. Company of Heroes 3

Set in World War II, Company of Heroes 3 takes you across the Mediterranean, from Italy to North Africa. You have a pause feature you can use to plan and queue attacks, whether it’s air or naval strikes. 

The game offers four unique factions you can control, each featuring ground, air, and naval troops on missions ranging from recon to liberating camps and breaching enemy territory.

2. Sudden Strike 4

Also, a World War II game in which you command American, British, German, or Soviet troops is Sudden Strike 4. The game’s 20+ single-player scenarios should offer way more variety and opportunities for different tactical approaches to battle.

But you also have over 100 units to mix and match. With the Complete Edition, you get even more campaigns, missions, and units in one package, combining the base game and five DLCs.

1. Halo Wars 2

Do check out Halo Wars 2 set on the Ark, where massive, large-scale battles take place. The threat behind enemy lines is capable of destroying all of humanity. And so, you have a lot of building and strategizing cut out for you. You’ll construct bases, upgrade your vehicles for combat, and level up your troops ahead of campaign skirmishes against the AI or friends.

The 3v3 matches are a nice change of pace, where you might learn new strategies from better players. So, what kind of commander will you be? And for which armies: marines, warthogs, scorpions, or Spartans?